Incarcerated!
by skrewtkeeper
Summary: A first-time trip to the store on his own is cut short when Luke is accused of something he did not do. Can the professor free the boy on zero evidence? We'll just have to see. No pairings. No spoilers. AU.


**A/N:** _This idea came to me when I imagined the professor and his faithful apprentice being separated and the reason for why...sort of came of its own accord; my apologies. Blame my terribly mean muse who apparently likes to see people suffer. :/ Also, this may or may not continue (and if it does, the rating may go up for the subject matter I've only thus far implied) depending upon whether I feel as though I can continue to portray the characters as canon dictates. It's harder than it sounds, but that's why I love this fandom. :3_

"There must be some mistake."

Layton was trying to control his temper, but it was proving…difficult.

"Look, Layton—" The officer he was speaking to was sympathetic, but otherwise unrelenting. "He was discovered at the scene, not to mention the young lady reported him—"

"—Luke would never—"

"—regardless, we must keep him overnight at the very least…for questioning."

"You mean an interrogation," Layton intoned bitterly.

The officer eyed him coolly. "That is the proper term, yes."

Hershel paced the office a few times, his hand over his mouth, desperately trying to think, and desperately trying to keep his panic at bay. All he wanted to do was collect Luke and bring him home where he belonged. The Luke he knew would never…would never lower himself to such atrocity. The professor knew he had taught him better than that. There had to be something else at work here…Luke had just turned thirteen a week ago and even though it hadn't been said, Hershel was quite aware that Luke was excited to have finally reached the age where he could properly be considered a teenager and no longer a child.

_Oh good Lord,_ he was little more than a child. How could a child conceive of such evil?

"May I see him?"

▬๑۩๑▬

Luke was curled up in a ball on his cot, trying to remain calm. The professor would come…and he would go home. The professor was extremely smart; he would figure out what had happened, and where Luke was now. He would get him out of here…Luke was sure of it.

"Luke."

The voice that uttered was so quiet, Luke was sure he had only imagined it in his hysterical wish for his rescue to be real…but then the voice came again.

"_Luke."_

Luke sat straight up in the darkness and scrambled toward the bars, where he could make out his professor cast in both lunar and candle light.

Despite his tentative calm of before, Luke could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "P—Professor! I—"

The professor looked particularly unhappy himself, but he said, "Calm yourself, Luke."

"I didn't do it," Luke quickly said, his voice quavering. "They think I—I couldn't—"

"Maintaining your innocence is the correct thing to do in this situation. A gentleman always tells the truth."

"Are they letting me go now? I mean…did you already catch the real person who did it?"

The professor winced; sometimes Luke thought just a bit _too_ highly of him. After a difficult pause, he related, "No Luke, I have not."

Luke's bottom lip trembled and the boy hastily bit down on it to keep from crying out. The image stung. Layton reached through the bars and touched his hand to his young ward's chin. Luke looked at him surprise and his tears altogether vanished.

"I will discover the true perpetrator Luke, you have my word."

But Luke seemed to have arrived at a new conclusion; a conclusion from which the professor could not save him.

"They…they want me to stay here tonight."

The professor would not look at him when Luke tried to search his face for confirmation. After a second difficult pause, he breathed, "Yes."

"I…I can't go home."

"No. Not tonight."

Luke was trying not to cry again; after all he was more than halfway to becoming a man, and well on his way to becoming a true gentleman. And though surrounded by empty cells with only the professor standing before him, he knew he was in public, and a gentleman _never_ lost control in public. At any moment, someone could come in; someone could easily witness him breaking down simply because he was unable to go home tonight.

He cried silently. The professor had lectures to give the next day—there was no way he'd be back early the following morning with the true monster in tow…but it didn't stop Luke from hoping.

"Look here, Luke."

Luke looked up, his eyes still slightly streaming and watched as the professor removed his coat. "You may use this tonight. I noticed the blankets were a bit…thread-bare."

Luke figured he'd be warm enough even with the thin blankets, but didn't say so—he recognized the gesture for what it was, and now his eyes were filling for a completely different reason.

"Thank you," Luke said gratefully, pulling the jacket through the bars and clutching it to himself as though he were a small child. It was still warm.

"Not at all, my boy." And even though the professor was gently smiling, Luke knew the decision would cost him. It was cold tonight.

And yet despite the obvious parting gesture, the professor didn't leave. Still they stood, with nothing more than iron bars separating them. When Luke could not stand the silence any longer, he spoke without looking at the professor directly. "I suppose…you'll be going now?"

"Luke, I will return," he reassured firmly.

"Yes, I know," Luke answered, still not looking at him. "I just wish you could stay…or maybe that I could go. That would be better…"

"Luke…" Layton reached through the bars to grasp Luke's shoulders. "A gentleman does not allow his hope to fade," he said.

Luke was crying again and nodded mutely.

"I'm sorry I did not bring your bear."

Despite the seriousness of where he was, Luke found that a little funny. "Professor, it's okay," he said as he quirked a small smile. He could just imagine the professor wandering around all of London with it—it would've been quite the ridiculous sight.

"Do you need anything?"

"No, Professor. I've got—well, they confiscated my pack when they brought me in, but everything's in there…"

"Even the bear?"

"No!" Luke said a bit too quickly. "I mean—of course not."

The professor chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

Luke groaned, for now he could not shake the feeling that the professor was going to turn his entire flat upside down looking for a bear that simply was not there. It _was_ in Luke's knapsack, where he liked to keep it best—as close as possible.

At that point, the professor made a great show of starting to leave, when Luke cried out, "Wait!"

Layton immediately paused as though expecting this. "Yes, Luke?"

"I…I just wanted to say thank you…for finding me."

The professor readjusted his hat as he replied, "You are most welcome, but rest assured Luke, I would have continued to look until my search proved successful."

"Yes, I know." And Luke _did_ already know, but it was reassuring to hear it said anyway.

"Go to sleep, Luke. I'll be here before it's even time for breakfast."

Luke smiled. "Oh yeah, you need your jacket back."

"Indeed I do."

But when Layton returned the following morning of course, he was wearing a different one.


End file.
